Finally
by Crippleshot13
Summary: (This is a revised version of the story "Finally". For some reason it didn't upload the story with quote marks). Naruto has finally kept his promise to bring Sasuke back home. But what he wasn't expecting was to find out that Sakura didn't feel the same about him anymore.


HEH HEY EVERYBODY! I'M BACK! I'm gonna get right to the apologizing for not writing for so long! I had to stop writing for a long time because things kept piling up on me one after the other. Unfortunately, my dog passed away in early February, and then my girlfriend of almost 3 years broke up with me 3 weeks later. Needless to say, I was devastated and just lacked the motivation to write. Or do anything for that matter. When I was finally able to start writing again, I had gotten too swamped with school to be able to find any free time to write anything. But now, I do have the time. And I will get back to it. And I'm writing this short one shot to get me back in the swing of things. I also plan to continue the story I was working on before this all happened (Fox Nine for those that don't remember). So once again, I'm so sorry for the long hiatus, but I hope to get back to getting stories and chapters out at a moderate pace again. Thanks and enjoy this one shot! ON TO THE STORY!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything affiliated with it. It all belongs to Kishimoto-san.

Finally

Naruto slowly opened his eyes. His vision was blurry at first, but they adjusted quickly. He recognized the hospital ceiling because he's woken up many times to it before, so he knew that he must have been in pretty bad shape. He tried to sit up but couldn't. Not because of any injury, but because something was weighing him down. He looked down and saw that Sakura was resting her head in her arms, on his bed and was sleeping peacefully. He smiled, happy to know that she was by his side while he recovered.

"She's been like that for awhile now." A voice came from the corner of the room.

Naruto looked up, surprised by the sudden break in silence and noticed Kakashi leaning up against the wall, reading one of his favorite books.

"Really? What about Sasuke?" He asked confused.

"Lady Hokage, Shizune, and a bunch of ANBU are watching over him. Besides, she was more worried about you."

Naruto smiled again hearing that but then turned serious again. "How long was I out for?"

"Not too long this time. Only about three days." Kakashi said as if it wasn't a big deal.

"Naruto didn't say anything." He thought back to three days ago.

*Flashback*

Sasuke and Naruto were both out of breath. They had used most of their chakra already and were on their last legs. The terrain around them was completely destroyed during their intense fight to the death. They were panting and staring each other down. Their clothes ripped and their bodies bloodied and bruised Naruto had used up the last of Kurama's chakra and Sasuke was too weak to summon his Susano'o. They knew the battle was soon to end and they began to put the rest of their chakra into one final attack. Naruto, his Rasengan and Sasuke, his Chidori.

"Give it up, Naruto. We both know how this ended last time." Sasuke said, keeping his composure.

"No way! I'm not letting you go this time! I'm gonna win this time and bring you back for sure!" Naruto shouted back.

"Not a chance! I told you I'm never going back to that village! So quit coming after me!" Sasuke yelled, losing his cool.

"Say what you want, but, I don't care! I'm gonna win and I'm gonna drag you back kicking and screaming if I have to!"

Naruto didn't give Sasuke a chance to respond as he charged full force towards him. Sasuke grunted and followed in return. Their screams echoed loudly throughout the land as the rushed towards each other. As they closed in, Sasuke shot his arm forawrd.

"DIE, NARUTO!"

Just then, Naruto stopped dead in his tracks and shot his attack at the ground, creating a giant cloud of dirt and dust. Sasuke was shocked at the sudden change in tactics and couldn't stop himself in time. He rushed through the cloud and his attack didn't connect with anything but air. And with good reason because Naruto had jumped in the air and had his leg raised above him. Sasuke had no chance to defend himself because he was still off balance from Naruto's sudden move. Naruto brought his leg down as hard as he could and connected a powerful drop kick on Sasuke's head. His face slammed into the ground and bounced back up slightly from the force, coughing up blood. His face got reacquainted with the ground and he lied there motionless, but still conscious. Naruto walked up to him and stood above him with a scowl on his face. Sasuke chuckled.

"Damn...I didn't expect that sort of move from you. That was pretty cheap...you...bastard." Sasuke said as he passed out.

"Naruto spoke even though he knew Sasuke wouldn't hear him. Whatever it takes to bring you home...you...bastard."

Naruto fell back and passed out as well. That last attack drained every bit of strength he had left.

*End Flashback*

Naruto finished his reminiscing and looked back at his sensei. "Has he woken up yet?" He asked.

"About ten minutes ago actually." Kakashi simply stated.

"Damnit! He beat me! Naruto semi-shouted." annoyed and hoping not to wake Sakura.

Kakashi let out a small laugh, "I think you won where it was most important though."

Naruto crossed his arms and pouted, "Yeah, I guess so. By the way, how did we get back to the village?"

"I arrived after you two had knocked each other out. I made a shadow clone and carried you two back here." He explained.

"I see. Thanks Kakasi-sensei. No thanks necessary." He said, although, he was already reading his book again.

Naruto looked back down at Sakura who was still sleeping. He had finally fulfilled his promise. He was happy, but sad at the same time. He knew that Sasuke would eventually resume life in the Leaf village and Sakura would go right back to trying to go out with him. Kakasi could see the mixed emotion in Naruto's eyes.

"What's on your mind?" He inquired even though he knew the answer.

"I'm glad Sasuke's back and all...but...now Sakura is gonna go back to being his fan girl and try to get him to go out with her again." He said slightly dejected.

Kakashi sighed, "Do you honestly think she's going to do that? I mean she's all grown up now. That was just a kiddie crush." Kakashi stated.

"Well maybe she wont fan girl over him anymore. But she still loves him, right? So of course she's going to go back to him."

At that moment, Sakura started to stir awake from the back and forth between her sensei and teammate.

"I'm just gonna let her do the talking in this case." Kakashi mentioned as his pupil awoke.

Sakura sat up slowly and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. When they adjusted, they saw Naruto smiling at her with his normal goofy grin, trying to hide his true emotions at the moment.

"Hey there Sakura!" He greeted enthusiastically.

Sakura blinked a few times to make sure she was seeing right. Naruto was awake and smiling at her. She quickly wrapped him in a strong hug, slightly surprising him.

"NARUTO! YOU'RE AWAKE!" She shouted, elated at the sight.

"Ah! S-Sakura! You're crushing me! I'm gonna pass out again!" He struggled to say.

Sakura gasped and quickly let go and pulled back. "Sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you!"

Naruto laughed, "It's ok! Don't worry about it." He said, waving it off.

Sakura then hugged him again, but this time, she was more gentile. Naruto liked the feeling and hugged her back. Kakashi smiled at the two from behind his book and mask. He closed it and spoke up.

"I'm going to go check and see how Sasuke's doing. You two should catch up." With that, he waved and left the room to give them some quality time together.

"So doc, how am I doing?" Naruto asked in a joking voice.

"First of all, I'm a nurse. Second, I'll have to do a check up to see."

Naruto saluted and let Sakura check all his old wounds and do a scan to see if there were any serious internal injuries.

"Well, not surprising, but you've fully recovered. I guess the Kyuubi was working over time to heal you."

"That's great! That means I can go back home! And call him Kurama. That's his name and he deserves to be called as such."

Sakura giggled. "My bad. Kurama it is. And yes. I can officially discharge you."

"ALRIGHT!" Naurto yelled at the top of his lungs.

Sakura puched him on the top of the head. "YOU IDIOT! KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN! THIS IS A HOSPITAL!" Sakura shouted as loud as he did.

Naruto had a river of tears flowing down his face "But Sakuraaa! You just yelled as loud as me!" He whined.

Sakura's face turned bright red. Then her face contorted into one of anger and she raised a shaking fist and growled. She slammed another punch on top of the huge bump that had already formed on his head, creating another, smaller one, to go with it.

"Well I wouldn't have if you weren't such an idiot!"

Naruto whimpered, "Sakura, you're so mean. I just woke up and you're already trying to knock me out again."

She let out a frustrated sigh and proceeded to heal the injuries she made. Naruto relaxed and enjoyed the treatment. He always liked it when Sakura would tend to him. He knew that she heals a lot of other patients, but it made him feel somewhat special. Sakura noticed him ease into the treatment. She smiled to herself and prolonged it as long as possible so he could continue to enjoy himself. Sadly though, it came to an end. Naruto was disappointed, but didn't let it show.

"So, now will you behave?" Sakura asked in a slight mocking tone.

"I guess." He responded nonchalantly.

"Good. Now then, would you like me to fill out your discharge papers now, or wait until you get a chance to go talk to Sasuke?"

"Hmm? Why the wait, unless you're using it as an excuse to come with me to see him." He said smirking.

Sakura turned bright red, but only from embarrassment from being caught. "Guess nothing gets passed you, huh? Haha!"

"I know you so well now, of course I can tell when you're plotting something!" Naruto said with a big grin.

Sakura giggled. "Ok. Since you found me out, let's go see him. I have a few choice words for him myself." She said crossing her arms.

Naruto saluted her and got up from bed feeling his normal, energetic self. They walked down the hall to where there were two ANBU stationed outside of a room. The two elite ninja recognized them and let them enter. Sasuke was surprisingly calm and barely paid the two any mind when they walked in. That irked Sakura a little, but Naruto seemed unfazed. Tsunade walked up to them and greeted them.

"Glad to see you're finally awake, Naruto. You too, Sakura." She said joking with her two favorite employees.

Sakura blushed from embarrassment knowing that she referred to her falling asleep while watching over Naruto. He just smiled and thanked her.

"So what can we do for you two?" The Sannin asked.

"We just came to check on Sasuke." Sakura said.

"As you can see, I'm fine. Now go away." Sasuke stated coldly.

"Hey! I don't care if you talk to me like that! But don't you dare be rude to Sakura!" Naruto nearly screamed.

Sakura knocked him on the head again. "Didn't we just have a conversation, not even five minutes ago, about keeping your voice down in the hospital?" She scolded, although flattered he stood up for her.

Naruto was rolling around on the ground from the pain and grabbing at his head. Sasuke didn't want to look, but the sheer stupidity of it made it impossible.

"It only takes one punch from her to send you to the ground? I'm ashamed of myself. It took all I had to make you do that." Sasuke quipped.

Sakura walked over to him and cracked her knuckles. "You're welcome to join him if you'd like." She said in as evil a voice as she could manage.

Sasuke sweat dropped. "I think I'm ok the way I am." His expression turned serious again. "And don't think because we're talking, that means I want to be your friend again. I left you two and this village for a reason."

Sakura couldn't deny that hearing those words stung. She knew it was a long shot. But she was surprised he even talked to them and wasn't being more cold towards everyone. He struck a nerve with Naruto, though and he was back on his feet completely healed.

"Hey! What did I say about being rude to her!?" He said as he got up in Sasuke's face.

"What? You still in love with her or something?" He joked, also getting annoyed at his personal space being invaded.

"As a matter of fact, I am!" Naruto jabbed back without hesitation.

The whole room became silent after that. Sakura was shocked most of all. Naruto looked around feeling slightly embarrassed and backed away from Sasuke. He lowered his head and muttered what most could only guess was a "sorry". Sasuke looked at him for a moment, then turned his attention toward Sakura.

"You two still aren't together? Does that mean you still have that stupid crush on me?"

Naruto and Sakura were taken aback at that statement. Neither of them ever expected that kind of question out of him. Especially Sakura. She paused a moment before answering. She looked at her feet as if expecting them to tell her what to say. She then raised her head and looked at him.

"No. She said clearly and confidently. I don't. While I'm happy that you're back home, I only see you as a friend and teammate. Even if we haven't been either for the past few years."

Sasuke didn't say anything. He just closed his eyes and slightly turned his head away. Sakura then turned to Naruto, who couldn't believe what he had just heard.

"Naruto, I'm sorry for making you promise me you would bring him back to me back then. I wasn't thinking straight and I didn't even consider how you might have felt when I did. I'm sorry you went through all that pain for nothing." She said in a slightly sad tone.

"It wasn't for nothing." He replied calmly.

That was something she didn't expect to hear at all.

"Of course it wasn't for nothing. You may have asked me to bring him back to you, but I also wanted him back as well. He was like a brother to me. My best friend. My teammate. I wasn't about to let him go without a fight. The promise I made to you was only for you. Because it was you that asked, I couldn't say no. I knew how important it was to you."

That made Sakura tear up a little bit. She always had a feeling he did it mostly for her. But to actually hear him say it was a lot sweeter than anything he could have done for her. Sasuke in the meantime, didn't seem to care either way. He was annoyed to be back in the first place and certainly didn't want to have to deal with those two and their crazy personalities again. Then again, it didn't seem like he had much choice anymore. If Naruto was able to push him to his limit alone, he couldn't image taking on the entire Leaf village. He let out a frustrated sigh as he resigned himself to his fate. Meanwhile, the room was getting too uncomfortable for a certain Sannin.

"As much as I love listening to your teenage drama, This isn't one of Ino's gossip parties. Sasuke is still recovering and we have more business to conduct with him. I let you in because it's a special occasion, but if you're done, I'll kindly have to ask you to take your love fest elsewhere." She stated strictly.

Naruto and Sakura wanted to protest, but both thought better of it. They bowed and agreed to leave and said their goodbyes to Sasuke, who surprisingly nodded in return. After leaving the room, Naruto and Sakura walked to the front desk so she could fill out his discharge form. Once it was approved, his spirits seemed to lift. But what Sakura said next made his head spin.

"Hey, Naruto, I technically still have work, but my shift ends in a few hours. Would you like to go to Ichiraku's and celebrate your recovery and bringing Sasuke back?"

"HUH!? Wait, Sakura...did you just ask me out on a date!?"

"Well when you put it that way...I guess so." She said with a smile.

"ARE YOU KIDDING!? OF COURSE I WANNA GO!" He shouted for the whole village to hear.

The next thing he knew, he felt intense pain in his face and suddenly learned how to fly. At least, until he realized that Sakura punched him again for being too loud. The front doors to the hospital conveniently opened as a nurse was walking in, and narrowly avoided Naruto, who flew out the door and landed in the streets. Sakura stomped towards the doors and stopped at the top step of the hospital.

"If you're not gonna learn your lesson the first two times, then the only way you'll learn is if I kick you out! If I ever hear you shout that loud in here again, I'll personally admit you after beating the crap out of you and sew your mouth shut!" She finished breathing heavily.

Naruto didn't move from the ground and uttered what sounded like a muffled "I'm sorry". It was hard to tell with his face being swollen. Sakura nodded to herself and began to walk back inside before she stopped in the doorway.

"Oh, Naruto, be back in about two hours. I should be off by then." She said in a sweet voice.

She thought she heard him say "yes ma'am" and chuckled to herself as she went back to doing her rounds. After about a half hour, She sat down in the break room to have a quick drink of water before moving on to her next patient. Just as she was about to get up and leave, Tsunade walked in and sat down across from her. She looked exhausted. She let out a sigh, cuing Sakura to ask what was wrong.

"Everything go ok with Sasuke?"

"Peachy. He's every bit as charming as I remember." She said, obviously being sarcastic.

"Do you think he'll try to escape?"

"No. He's not stupid. He knows that he can't beat an entire village by himself. Especially with Naruto around. And having you doesn't hurt either."

"I see...so...do you think he'll return to a normal life here?"

"About as normal as you could expect from him. It'll obviously take time for him to earn the trust of most of the shinobi and villages after everything he's done. But he does have you and Naruto. Plus the other members of his graduating class. It'll be awhile though before he opens up to anyone. He's not exactly elated to be back."

"That's to be expected. He's been away for so long, And after finding out the truth about his brother, I hardly think he'll forgive the village any time soon. But...I know someday that he'll be back on Team 7...at least...I hope."

"Nothing is certain, But maybe having a guiding hand will be good for him. Or hands."

Sakura smiled as she knew her mentor meant her, Naruto and Kakashi. Tsunade then gave a sadistic smirk.

"So...what did you think about what Naruto said?"

Sakura's face turned red and she looked away embarassed. "W-what do y-you mean? I don't re-remember him saying a-anything weird." She stuttered profusely.

Tsunade's grin only grew, "Oh? So you don't find him saying he loves you weird? Interesting."

Steam was now visibly coming from her face. "O-oh that? O-of course that's weird! I mean, w-who says that so casually in a r-room full of p-people?"

"Apparently him. The Sannin sighed. When are you gonna realize that he's a perfect match for you? If it's true, like you said, about you not loving Sasuke anymore, then what's holding you back?"

Sakura didn't know how to answer that. Sure she found Naruto more attractive now, and he was a lot nicer to her than he ever had been when they were younger. But for whatever reason, she never considered the possibility of them being a couple.

"You should at least give him a chance. He deserves that much." The Hokage spoke, breaking the silence.

"...I know...you're right. What have I got to lose? No matter what happens, I can't see us possibly not being friends if it doesn't work out."

Tsunade smilled, "Good answer. Now get out of here and go get him."

Sakura looked surprised. "But, Lady Tsunade, I still have an hour and a half left on my shift."

"Forget about it. We've got plenty of nurses here to cover for you. I don't want you back here until you two have been on a real date."

"But-"

"No buts! That is a direct order from your Hokage!" She commanded, slamming her foot into the ground, slightly cracking it.

Sakura was too stunned to argue, so she stood up and bowed. Understood. Was all she said as she walked to the door. But before she exited the room, she turned around and smiled slyly at her master.

"Just so we're clear, I already asked him on a date before he left."

Sakura winked at her and walked out of the room with confidence. Tsunade laughed for a good minute. When she finally calmed down, she got up and left the room to return to Sasuke's.

"Good luck, kid."

xxx

Sakura didn't know what to do with the time she had left. She had gone home and showered to wash away the sweat of the day's work. Now she was dressed and still had an hour before the date. She was too bored waiting so she decided to go to Naruto's and pick him up instead. She thought about what the Hokage said while she walked. Every time she thought about it, it only made more sense. Naruto was always there for her. He never even had to be asked at times. He would just do it. Whatever it was. He cared about her probably more than her own parents. Before she knew it, she was standing in front of his door. She steeled her self and knocked.

"Coming!" She heard from the other side.

The door unlocked and opened. To Sakura's surprise, Naruto was standing in front of her, shirtless and wet. She deduced that he had just taken a shower and hadn't fully dried yet. To Naruto's surprise, Sakura was standing in his doorway looking flushed and about ready to faint. Naruto wasn't expecting her so he didn't think to at least put on a shirt.

"S-Sakura!? W-what are you doing here? You aren't supposed to be off for another hour!" He stammered.

"I...uh...L-Lady Tsunade gave me the rest of my shift off...s-so I decided t-to come over here and get you instead!"

She couldn't take her eyes off him. She had seen Naruto shirtless before, but for some reason, this time seemed different.

"When did he get so hot!?" She screamed in her head.

"O-oh! I see! W-well l-let me get a shirt on and dry my hair real quick first!"

"Good idea..." She lied.

"Um...you're welcome to wait inside if you'd like..."

"O-Ok..."

Naruto walked into his bedroom and towel dried his hair. Sakura sat down in the kitchen and watched. She was mesmerized by his amazingly toned body. And it was completely tan. So she guessed he worked out in the sun without a shirt a lot. The thought made her swoon, but she shook her head and tried to think of something else. When she regained her thoughts, Naruto had already put a shirt on. She was slightly disappointed, but decided it was for the best.

"Sorry you had to see me like that. I just wasn't expecting you." He apologized.

Sakura shook her head. "Don't be sorry. After all, I've seen you without a shirt plenty of times. We are teammates after all."

"Naruto grinned. I guess you're right. Heheh. So, shall we go?"

"Sounds good to me!"

xxx

The two were walking down the street towards Naruto's favorite restaurant. They didn't feel so awkward anymore and were talking like they normally did. Sakura was laughing at old memories of Naruto goofing up simple missions when they were first starting out as a team. Naruto teased her about tying with Ino in the preliminary match of the Chuunin Exams. Sakura play punched him in the arm for bringing that up and they shared a good laugh. They arrived soon after and Naruto greeted the booth with a hearty hello.

"How's it going, old man!?"

Teuchi, the owner, walked out of the back room and was elated to see his favorite and most valuable customer.

"Naruto! Good to see you! And you too, Sakura!"

Ayame jumped out from behind her father and greeted them as well. "Hey guys! Welcome!"

"What can I get for you today?" The owner asked enthusiastically.

"Well old man, today's a special occasion, so I want the best you can possibly make! I'm on a date with Sakura and I want her to taste nothing but the best!"

"Hoho! So you finally managed to get her to accept one of your date offers huh?"

"Actually, I asked him this time around." Sakura chimed in.

"Really? That's a first! But I'm glad it finally happened, whatever way it did!"

"Yeah! Congratulations! You have no idea how much Naruto talks about you when he's here! I don't even think he realizes it!" Ayame joined in.

Sakura blushed a little bit while Naruto was frantically trying to shush the two. They just laughed.

"Don't worry, Naruto! Tonight, you two are gonna eat the best rammen you've ever had in your lives! That's an Ichiraku guarantee!" Teuchi said while Ayame nodded in agreement.

"I expect nothing less!" Naruto said happily.

Sakura giggled at their antics. It's like they were Naruto's family. He probably felt the same way.

"Oh, and don't worry about paying, Since it's your first date ever, it's all on the house!"

"Are you serious!? Awesome! Thanks, old man!" Naruto's eyes became shiny stars at the mention of free rammen.

"Wait, you've never been on a date before?" Sakura asked curiously.

"You kidding, Naruto said he'd never go on a date unless it was with you. It was like his life goal other than becoming Hokage." Ayame laughed.

"Hey she wasn't supposed to know that!" Naruto shouted.

Teuchi laughed while he cooked and Ayame had to run to the back before Naruto could reprimand her any further. Meanwhile, Sakura had been touched by the sentiment. She had no idea Naruto felt this strongly about her. Sure he would constantly confess when they were kids, but she thought he would grow out of it as he got older. Turns out he was just better at hiding it now. Her thoughts were cut short as two bowls were placed in front of them.

"Alright you two! Dig in! I expect to see every last bite gone!"

"You don't have to worry about that with me around!"

Sakura bowed her head, "Thank you for the food."

Naruto began gulping down his food as if it were going to be the last meal he would ever eat. He stopped mid way and dropped his chopsticks. Teuchi and Sakura looked concerned.

"Naruto, is everything ok? I didn't over cook it did I?" Teuchi asked worried.

Tears began to flow down Naruto's cheeks. He slurped up the rest of the noodles and began to sniffle.

"This...is the greatest rammen...that I've ever eaten...in my entire life."

Sakura's head promptly met the counter as she couldn't believe what she just heard. She was actually worried about him! But Teuchi didn't seem to feel the same. In fact, he began to cry too.

"Naruto...You have no idea how much it means to hear you say that!"

"Don't cry, old man! You should be proud!" Naruto struggled to say as he was trying to hold back a sob.

"I am proud, Naruto! I've never been more proud to be a rammen shop owner than right now!" He replied, also trying to keep from sobbing.

"What the hell was I thinking in coming here with him?" Sakura thought to herself.

The rest of the date went off without a hitch. They both enjoyed their meals and Sakura got to hear a few new embarrassing stories about the blond, much to his protest. Naruto had eaten a good ten bowls, while Sakura could only manage two.

"That was amazing! I don't think I could ever eat rammen from anywhere else ever again!" Naruto said, elated.

"Good! Maybe that way, we can drive all the competition out of business!" Teuchi joked.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Teuchi! The rammen was wonderful!"

"Ah drop the Mr. No need to be so formal! And I'm glad you enjoyed it! And I hope to see you and Naruto here together more often!"

"I think that can be arranged." She said coyly.

Naruto was shocked. "Does that mean you actually wanna go on another date with me?"

"Maybe. If you're a good boy." She winked.

Naruto blushed heavily and almost passed out. After regaining his composure, he and Sakura left full and happy. They decided that there was still enough time to walk around the village before it got too dark. They walked in silence mostly, enjoying the others company. It was Naruto who first decided to speak after awhile.

"Hey Sakura...I don't mean to pry but...Back in Sasuke's room...is it really true that you don't feel that way anymore?"

Sakura didn't hesitate to respond. "Yes, Naruto. It's like he said. It was a stupid crush. Again, I'm happy he's home, but I only see him as a friend and teammate now. Nothing more. I promise."

"And I believe you. I just...what changed?"

"Well...I don't know exactly. I guess him being gone so long...I realized that he would never feel the same way about me. I didn't want to have to live with the heartache of waiting for someone who would never return my feelings. So, I started to look at him as just a friend and teammate. Although, it was hard to do sometimes. Whenever I thought about him, I could only see him as someone who betrayed us for power. Real friends wouldn't do that to each other. But...every time you talked about him, you gave me hope to keep believing that one day, you would bring him back. And he would be a part of our team again. I guess...It's really thanks to you."

"Thanks to me? But how?"

"You always cared about me and supported me. When I felt my worst or weakest, you would always cheer me up and remind me how strong I really am. And you would always remind me of the promise you made to me. A promise you never had to make or keep. Yet you did it for me. Everything you've ever done for me...it's because you love me isn't it?"

"...yeah...you're right...I may not shout it like I used to, but deep down, I've never once stopped loving you. And I had always resigned myself to the fact that you would always love Saskue. So I supported you as a friend and teammate on the outside. But inside, it was always because I wanted you to be happy. I wanted to always see you smile."

Sakura was holding back tears. The words she had once wanted to hear from Sakuke were coming from Naruto. Which left her no doubt in her mind that he was definitely right for her. She would be stupid to think any other guy could make her as happy as he did. She smiled and whispered to him.

"Naruto...I think you've waited long enough. It's time I gave you a real chance."

"Huh? What are you talking about Sakura?" He asked, cocking his head to the side.

She giggled. "You're such an idiot."

"Sakuraaaa! That's so mean!" He whined.

"I'm sorry. What I mean to say is that, I'm ready to give us a shot. You and me. Together."

Naruto blinked a few times. "Wait...you mean...together? As in, a couple?"

"Yes silly." She said laughing.

Before she knew it, she was lifted off the ground and being swung around. Naruto was so happy that he hugged her as tight as he could.

"N-Naruto! Take it easy! You're crushing me!"

He stopped spinning her and put her down. "Heheh...sorry. I got a little too excited."

"Ya think?" She said smirking.

She then hugged him gently and rested her head against his chest. "Now this is much better."

Naruto chuckled and wrapped his arms around her too. They stayed like that for a few minutes. Sakura had never been happier. It took her too long to realize it, but she finally had something she had always wanted. Love. It may not be from who she expected, but right now, she wouldn't have it any other way. Unfortunately, it was getting late, and she had to get home. Naruto offered to walk her there and she happily agreed. She even took the initiative to hold his hand the whole way there. It felt so right to both of them. Naruto for one, couldn't have been happier. He had waited so long for this that he thought he was dreaming. They had reluctantly reached Sakura's house and were about to say goodbye, when Naruto decided to ask and odd question.

"Hey, Sakura?"

"Yes?"

"Could you pinch me?"

"Huh? Why on Earth would I do that?"

"I want to make sure I'm not dreaming."

"Hmmm...How about this instead?"

Sakura leaned closer and kissed him on the cheek. Naruto froze and couldn't believe what had just happened. If anything, it made him feel like he was dreaming even more. But at the same time, it felt so real that he knew he couldn't possibility be. Sakura pulled back and smiled at him in a way he had never seen before. He didn't know what it was exactly. But Sakura knew. She was falling in love with him. But they would have to wait until tomorrow to continue.

"Well, it was a wonderful night, but I have to go now."

"Naruto smiled sadly. I know. But I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

"Of course. And I have the day off, so I'm all yours."

"I like the sound of that. He grinned."

"I'm sure you do. Goodnight, Naruto."

"Goodnight, Sakura. See you tomorrow."

"See ya."

Sakura opened her door and waved to him as he walked away. When he was out of sight, she closed the door and sighed. She wanted to spend more time with him, but she was getting tired. She turned around to head for her bedroom upstairs, but was shocked to see a familiar figure blocking her. Naruto was standing in front of her, and before she could question him, he wrapped her in his arms and kissed her passionately. She didn't know what to think. It was so sudden that she had no time to react. And before she could, he broke away and smiled at her.

"I couldn't resist."

With those three words said, he shunshined away. Sakura felt her knees begin to wobble and leaned against her door for support. She smiled to herself and swore she would get him back for that tomorrow.

"You're gonna get it, you jerk."

The End

A.N: And that's a wrap! I hope you all enjoyed this story! Like I said, it's just a small one shot to get me back in the swing of things. I really am sorry for taking so long. It's been difficult for me, but I'm finally past the pain. I hope you all understand, and thank you so much for your support whenever I write a story. It means a lot. I'm still currently writing the next chapter for Fox Nine, so hopefully that will be out soon. Look forward to it! Until, next time, CYA! 


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